The Kannada film industry is grappling with actor Darshan's arrest in connection with a murder case. While the Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce (KFCC) expressed regret and offered condolences to the victim Renukaswamy’s family, a key member raised concerns about the industry's approach.

Ba Ma Harish, the Secretary of the KFCC and co-producer of Darshan's debut Majestic, blamed negative influences surrounding the actor for his actions. In an interview with NewsFirst Kannada, Harish said, “Darshan relied on people around him, his opinions of others were based on this ‘close circle’ (jhing chak). Darshan’s association with them is probably why this happened.” 

Darshan was arrested on June 11, in connection to the murder of a 33-year-old man Renukaswamy, who was alleged to have sent lewd and defamatory messages to Darshan’s partner, Pavithra Gowda.

Harish spoke about Darshan's early days in the industry and expressed confusion over how he ended up in such a predicament, saying, “I have a lot of respect for that family. I don’t know how he became like this.” He however did not speak about other crimes that Darshan has been accused of in the past, including —— assaulting his wife, illegally housing migratory birds in his farmhouse. 

Harish commended the police for their diligent work on the case, acknowledging their sensitivity and dedication: “The police are doing a very sincere job with sensitivity. Hats off to their dedication. Till date, they have done a very good job on handling the case.”

Harish also touched on his personal relationship with Darshan, noting that their bond had deteriorated over time. He recounted an incident where he was campaigning for the Vokkaliga Sangha and mentioned that Darshan was not part of the community, which he believed might have hurt Darshan's feelings, possibly exacerbated by his fans' provocations: “I had gone campaigning as part of Vokkaliga Sangha when many asked where Darshan was, I told them that Darshan wasn’t part of the community. That may have hurt his feelings. At that time, the fans around him provoked Darshan against me.”

A delegation from the KFCC, including President NM Suresh, visited Renukaswamy's family on June 15 and offered Rs 5 lakh as compensation. This act, however, drew criticism from Harish, who felt it was inappropriate for the Chamber to provide money in a manner that seemed like paying a fine for Darshan’s actions. He expressed his sadness and disgust at this approach, saying, “I didn’t know the Chamber was giving money. It’s as if the Chamber is paying a fine for Darshan killing someone. Was this needed? It makes me sad and disgusted.”

NM Suresh had said, "We have gone to convey our condolences personally and also to tell the family how apologetic the industry is about what happened to Renukaswamy. We also told them that we will stand with them in future too." 

He added that the KFCC would take appropriate action against Darshan if he is found guilty following the police investigation, reiterating their commitment to support Renukaswamy's family: "We gave Rs 2.5 lakh to his wife and another Rs 2.5 lakh to his father and mother on behalf of KFCC."